'Wrecking ball' Johnny Glynn could be missing Galway ingredient

Five years after his last appearance with the Galway hurlers, Johnny Glynn looks set for a hurling inter-county return.

The 2017 All-Ireland winner has been based in New York over the last few years, and was a key figure in the Exiles' famous Connacht championship victory over Leitrim last year.

The Irish Independent has reported that the powerful Ardrahan man is back in Ireland for a few months and linked in with Henry Shefflin’s squad this week.

The 30-year-old last lined out for the Tribesmen in a Leinster round-robin defeat to Dublin in 2019, a game that saw the westerners exit the championship.

Glynn's physical presence and aerial ability would be a huge boost to Shefflin as his side bid to improve on successive All-Ireland semi-final defeats.

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Speaking on the RTÉ GAA podcast, former Antrim Neil McManus hurler says a recent visit to New York, where he spoke to the county footballers, was an eye opener as to what Glynn offers a team.

"Never mind what Johnny brings on the pitch, there is obviously huge leadership within the man," he said.

McManus says Galway’s need for a target man was never more evident than Joe Canning’s last game for the Tribes, an All-Ireland qualifier defeat to Waterford in 2021.

The Portumna man retired the following week, outlining wear and tear on his body as the principal reason for his decision to step away, yet he was still shouldered the responsibility of winning primary possession.

"He (Canning) was the puck-out option when they were trying to get into